Rebuilding Afghanistan: Locals Want More Say

Since 2002, international donors have pledged nearly $56 billion to build and develop Afghanistan, making it one of the largest recipients of foreign aid in the world.

The United States is by far the largest donor. The U.S. ambassador, Karl Eikenberry, told Afghans in a speech last week that they can expect billions more from Americans in the coming year.

"We will concentrate on agriculture and other key sectors of the economy, while reducing the pool of poor, unemployed men who are most vulnerable to the recruiters of extremism and militant violence," he said.

Yet many Afghans are unmoved by such promises. They complain that international development amounts to a hodgepodge of expensive and often shoddy projects in dangerous areas with little local say over how the money is spent.

The vast natural resources needed to make Afghanistan self-sufficient also remain untapped, with no roads to get the minerals and gems out even if they are mined. - Rebuilding Afghanistan: Locals Want More Say
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